Cement Shoes
by GilliganKane
Summary: Lindsay started walking away, the first couple of steps still facing Cindy. She looked like a teenage boy who had just been rejected by the prom queen. Lindsay/Cindy
1. Chapter 1

Lindsay Boxer closed her eyes, blocking out the harsh florescent lighting of the precinct

Lindsay Boxer closed her eyes, blocking out the harsh florescent lighting of the precinct. She was supposed to be out on her second date with Simon, instead she was sitting at her desk with her shoes off, her feet up and eating Chinese takeout. 'Claire was wrong' she thought as she wrestled with her chopsticks. 'I don't need a man, I'm fine on my own.' Abandoning the chopsticks that just didn't seem to want to grasp her lo mien, she ransacked her desk drawer for a fork.

"You still here?" her partner asked, a hint of humor in his voice. Jacobi shuffled through some papers on his desk, putting on his jacket.

"I want to look over the…"

Jacobi cut her off. "I know you're not going to say the 'Kiss-Me-Not Killer' case files. Because Tom told you to leave it alone."

"Tom also said 'for better or for worse' and look where we are now," Lindsay responded with a wry smile.

"Just go home, if you still know where that is," Jacobi said as he jingled his car keys.

"I have a pretty good idea, yea." Lindsay was already putting her shoes back on and her lo mien was in the trash, along with the chopsticks.

The precinct door banged open and Lindsay saw a flash of red hair headed in her direction. Jacobi winced as the swinging doors slammed back together and then grinned at Lindsay who was half in her jacket, half out.

"Good luck with this one," he said as he moved away from her desk. "And tomorrow, I want to see you in a different shirt, not the one that you've been wearing for four days straight."

"You notice what I wear?" Lindsay asked playfully.

"I notice the stench alright," Jacobi shot back over his shoulder. Lindsay grinned lazily and remained standing, watching Cindy Thomas approach her. The young reporter didn't look happy.

"You gave the story to someone else," the redhead accused Lindsay, pointing a finger in the Inspector's face.

"What are you…"

"Don't try it. You gave the story to Ben Nichols! He's a junior reporter! He's nobody! He's the…"

"The one who was there when the story broke. You weren't around" Lindsay interjected, taking a step closer as her voice got more urgent, matching Cindy.

"That's bullshit Lindsay, and you know it. We had a deal. I help you, you help me. You screwed me over." Cindy's eyes were bright with rage and tears.

"You weren't there. What do you want me to do?" Lindsay slammed down an empty paper coffee cup, accomplishing nothing.

"Call me! Email me! Send a goddamn search party!" Cindy held up her cell phone and waved it in the air.

"It's not my problem anymore," Lindsay said as she locked her desk drawer and grabbed her gun. She pushed her chair in and zipped her leather jacket up halfway.

"What is your problem?" Cindy asked, stepping into Lindsay's path of escape. The brunette laughed hollowly.

"Me? My problem is I've been wearing the same shirt for almost a week now. I haven't had a good night of sleep in three days. My ex-husband is my boss. I can't catch this damn "Kiss-Me-Not" killer, and you not being around is the absolute last thing I'm worrying about!" What Lindsay didn't say was that her problem was Cindy hadn't been around and that it had been the worst four days of her life.

"I was around," redhead said meekly, a little bit of her steam lost.

"Cindy, go home," Lindsay said in a defeated tone. The Inspector moved around the shorter woman and headed towards the exit. Her steps were slow and tired. She hadn't been this tired a minute ago.

"Lindsay. Wait." Lindsay heard footsteps behind her and then Cindy was standing next to her. "I'm sorry." Lindsay resisted the urge to smile at the apology.

"Its fine."

"No, its not," insisted the redhead with the ghost of a frown on her face. "I let my personal life interfere with work and that…"

"I said its fine!" Lindsay all but screamed. She stopped walking, but Cindy took an extra step forward. The Inspector looked like she was red-hot angry now, eyes ablaze with fury. "I don't care about your moral ethics or your 'work before a life' idea. You weren't there, so yea, I gave the story to someone else, someone who actually cares about their job; someone who isn't out on a date when a story breaks. Excuse me for doing my job. You should have been doing yours!" Her breathing got heavy and her hands were jammed inside her jacket pockets. It seemed like someone turned the heat on in the precinct, and Lindsay felt herself start to sweat.

"So that's what this is about, huh? That I was on a date, and you weren't; that you sat at your desk, probably eating takeout again, wallowing in your own self-pity. Well get over it Lindsay!" Cindy's fury matched the brunettes. "You're sad and lonely, but that's not anyone's fault but your own."

"I'm not sad. Or lonely!" Lindsay insisted. "I've got Martha."

Cindy scoffed. "A dog you brought home after its first owner was murdered."

"Well I'm sorry I'm not running around with the News Editor," Lindsay shot back.

"Right, cause you're so much better off than me. You went on a date with Simon, a man you pretended was your long time boyfriend so that people would think you were over Tom. And tonight? I know you had another date with Simon, and instead you're sitting here in the dark. At least I get out." Cindy marched towards the door, but turned back. "And for the record: I'm not sleeping with the News Editor. Not that it's any of your business."

"Not that it was ever my business," Lindsay muttered under her breath. Cindy heard the mutterings, but couldn't make out the words. She turned back to Lindsay, eyes narrowed, and demanded to know what the Inspector had just said.

"I said, not that it was ever my business. Face it Cindy, you never told me anything, not even when we were…you know. So not showing up at the crime scene, I kind of figured that. But what else was I expecting. You vowed to have nothing to do with me, so why are you even here." Lindsay felt like a teenager in high school, waiting to hear why she wasn't good enough.

"You gave the story to someone else." Cindy looked at the ground and wrung her hands together.

"You gave your heart to someone else," Lindsay whispered softly. Cindy's head snapped up.

"You said…"

Lindsay waved her hand in the air, then ran it through her hair. "Forget what I said. I was wrong, I was angry. I was trying to be understanding and…damn it. You suck Cindy. You honestly…" Lindsay trailed off, not sure how to express her frustration. Before Cindy could get a word in, Lindsay picked the sentence back up again. "It wasn't just a thing to do between cases or interrogations Cindy. It meant something, you meant something, and when I saw you with that damn News Editor, I just…I…"

"Felt the need to fight him in public? Totally humiliate him? And yourself?" Cindy supplied meekly.

"What if I said I was drunk?"

"I wouldn't believe it, because I know you weren't. You're just lucky that Claire got him not to press charges." Cindy took a tentative step towards the brunette, but Lindsay didn't seem to notice.

"There was nothing lucky about that night." Lindsay's eyes changed in that moment. They pleaded with Cindy and the reporter had to look away. "Let me fix it, whatever it is. I can be better, I promise."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Cindy insisted. Lindsay was confused.

"Then what? What happened?"

"It was me. I…"

"Don't you dare say 'its not you, it's me,' because that's total crap." Lindsay started walking away, out the door and all Cindy could do was jog beside the long legged woman and try and keep up. Outside the Hall of Justice, Lindsay could see Jill and Claire headed to the restaurant, and she tried to catch them. But Cindy's words stopped her cold in her tracks.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you." Cindy took a breath. "The first time it happened, I didn't think it was real. I mean, look at you Lindsay. You're incredible. And I'm just this reporter who only hung around to get a story, and then to get into your "club" because I don't have any friends of my own. But then I kissed you and yea, I was drunk, but my god…I've never kissed anyone like that in my life, let alone make the first move. You make me nervous Lindsay. You're so sure of yourself, and you know what you want. Put a little alcohol in me and you get a completely different person." Lindsay's face fell in defeat. She didn't want to stick around to hear about being a drunken mistake – she already had too much on her plate.

"Jill! Claire!" In front of her, the two women turned around and noticed the tall brunette. They stopped and waited for her to catch up.

"Lindsay, please," Cindy pleaded from behind her. "Can't we go back to how it was." Lindsay turned suddenly.

"Kiss me."

Cindy looked stunned. "What?"

"Kiss me, right here, right now. If you don't feel a single thing – other than repulsion – then we go our separate ways. I'll be your friend and tell you about investigations, you write the stories. But if you feel something, anything, for me, then you give me a second chance."

"No," Cindy said, shaking her head.

"Why not?"

"Because," Cindy looked past Lindsay at Claire and Jill. "Because we both know that if I kiss you now, I'm not going to stop and that can't happen."

Lindsay took a desperate step towards Cindy, stepping into the reporter's personal space so that the redhead had to look up to see Lindsay's eyes. "Who says it can't happen?"

Cindy shook her head sadly. "Lindsay, it's…"

"Just kiss me."

Lindsay grabbed Cindy's chin and lifted it up. The Inspector's mouth descended upon the redheads, cutting off any protest. Cindy tried to wriggle free, but Lindsay's grasp was steady and Cindy gave up, submitting to the feel of Lindsay's lips on hers. When they broke apart, Cindy looked away.

"Lindsay."

"Cindy," Lindsay said with a smile.

"This isn't funny."

"Who said it was?"

"You're incorrigible."

"You use big words."

"It means you're hopeless."

"I know what it means, Ms. Thesaurus."

"I can't." Cindy looked away. Lindsay sighed and shoved her hands back into her pockets – her defense mechanism. Lindsay Boxer was shutting down.

"I have to go catch up with Jill and Claire. They're probably wondering what the hell just happened. It's going to be a long dinner." Lindsay started walking away, the first couple of steps still facing Cindy. Her eyes were shining in the streetlights, tears forming. Her shoulders were slumped over and she looked like a teenage boy who had just been rejected by the prom queen. Then she spun on her heel and hurried down the street.

"I'm sorry," Cindy whispered to Lindsay's retreating back. She wanted to chase after the brunette, but her feet were stuck and she couldn't move them, no matter how hard she tried.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well would you look at what the dead body dragged in." Lindsay gave a mocking smile in Claire's direction and flopped down in the woman's office chair. Jill flashed her a look of the "where the hell have you been" variety.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. What have you got for me?" Claire turned towards the blond lawyer and raised an eyebrow.

"Does she really think that she can just waltz in here and expect results without telling us where she's been for the last couple of days, why she looks like hell, and" Claire sniffed the air "why she smells like she slept with Captain Morgan? Cause that ain't gonna happen."

"Well maybe she thinks she's exempt from friend rules." Jill offered with a shrug, neither the lawyer nor the Medical Examiner looking in the brunette's direction.

"Maybe, you never know with these types of girls."

Jill smirked, sensing Lindsay's frustration. "She's always been a little different from the rest of us."

"She's sitting right here!" Lindsay announced loudly, throwing her hands up in the air and then covering her face.

"Oh well hey there Lindsay. Didn't notice you were here. Did you see her come in Claire?" Jill held back a laugh, and leaned back in her perch on the wooden desk.

"I sure as hell smelt her come in here. Did you leave anything left in the bottle Lindsay?" Claire's expression went from amused to concerned.

"There wasn't much in it to begin with." Lindsay shot back defensively. Claire stopped what she was doing and walked over to the brunette, placing a hand on the Inspector's shoulder. Lindsay looked up the Chief Medical Examiner, and tears threatened to spill out of her eyes.

"Aw, Linds." Lindsay shook her head, clearing her eyes and smiled softly at one of her best friends.

"Seriously Linds, where have you been the last couple of days?" Jill asked softly.

"Big case, working overtime, drinking. The usual, you know. It's not that I didn't want to see you guys, it's just that…"

"You had to take a break." Claire supplied. Lindsay nodded. The brunette shook her head again and stood up.

"So, do you have anything for me?" Inspector Lindsay was back.

"He was shot to the chest, point blank. 22. mm. Pretty straightforward." Claire opened the file folder in her hand and thumbed through the pages. Lindsay's head snapped up.

"22? You're sure?" Claire grinned.

"Honey, I do this for a living." Lindsay let out a whoop and hugged the shorter woman. Jill laughed and smiled while Claire looked at Lindsay, dumbfounded.

"Only one guy we're interviewing has that kind of hardware." She turned towards the blond lawyer. "You got anything?"

"Depends. Do I get a whoop if I do?" Lindsay smirked and flashed her trademark smile.

"It depends on whatcha got for me darling," Lindsay drawled out.

"Well, it looks like Mr. Keller…" The blond was cut off as a storm of red came flying through the door like she was on fire. Lindsay impulsively jumped back into her chair and tried to look casual. Claire took a concerned step towards the reporter who was breathing heavily and looking behind her worriedly.

"There's no one behind me, right? I mean, no one came down the stairs after me?" Her eyes were showing her panic, but Lindsay kept her mouth shut and remained sitting. The redhead hadn't noticed her yet, and she wanted to keep it that way as long as possible.

Claire had both hands on the reporter's shoulder, trying to calm the younger woman down. "Honey, what are you running from? It's just us in here. This place is so small, you can't miss anyone coming down those stairs." Cindy visibly relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Someone followed me from my office," she explained. "I couldn't get a cab without letting him catch up with me, so I ran."

"That's 10 blocks. You ran 10 blocks? Why the hell would you run 10 blocks?" Jill rose to her full height, a worried expression now on her face. Claire got Cindy a glass of water and sat her down in a chair in front of her desk, the reporter's back to Lindsay.

"Yeah. Usually, I only run 5. You know, I try to keep my exercise to a minimum. But today, I just thought I was up for it, so I went the full ten." Jill looked at the redhead blankly. "There was a guy chasing me!" Cindy restrained herself from shouting too loudly. Jill put her hands up in front of her, blocking Cindy's verbal assault.

"Sorry. Just wondering why you didn't go back into your office and call one of us. If you haven't noticed, we're pretty powerful people. My voice alone can frighten…"

"My twelve year old son?" Claire offered with a grin. Jill turned towards the Medical Examiner.

"I was going to give myself a little more credit than that. I scare Jacobi all the time." From behind the desk, Lindsay grinned, but remained silent.

"He's scared of your hair." Jill fingered her closely cropped hair and stuck her tongue out at Claire. "Anyways, why was this guy – what did he look like?"

"Tall, lean, blond hair…" Jill cut Cindy off mid-sentence.

"If you say that he was cute, so help me God…" The lawyer let the statement hang in the air and Cindy smiled weakly.

"He was anything but. At one point, he got so close I could see his eyes. They were blue, which is a nice attribute, but they were a creepy blue. Piercing I guess. It just…gave me the chills." Lindsay mentally went through all the men she'd encountered and tried to remember if she had seen their eyes. She caught the look Jill was giving her, the famous "you-better-be-listening-to-this" look and caught the tail end of Cindy's description.

"…he was wearing the ugliest outfit I've ever seen. It was a fluorescent green tee-shirt and a pair of checkered board shorts."

"It's 50 degrees outside!" Claire gave Cindy a bewildered look. Cindy shook her head vehemently.

"I know!" exclaimed the reporter. "That's why I noticed what he was wearing in the first place."

"You mean, you didn't notice the fluorescent green shirt first?" Jill asked.

Cindy paused. "Well, yeah. But…oh you know what I mean."

"Sadly," Jill grinned, "I know exactly what you mean."

"Did he say anything to you?" Claire moved to the desk and Lindsay was effectively blocked from Cindy's view.

"He called out to me. I think he said that he needed to talk to me, about…I didn't catch that part. But he kept saying 'I know about what happened, I can help you fix it' but…I don't know what he's talking about. I didn't break anything."

"Have you seen him before?" Jill piped up, asking the question that was playing across Lindsay's face.

"I might have." Cindy offered hesitantly. Jill and Claire exchanged a look and Lindsay leaned forward in her seat. "I might have gone on a blind date with him."

"Cindy!" All three women shouted the reporter's name at once and the redhead whipped around and caught sight of the Inspector sitting in Claire's chair.

Lindsay hadn't realized she opened her mouth until Cindy was staring at her. "Uh. Sorry. Um…" The brunette stood and stretched her legs out subtly. "…Well, I think I got all I need, so I'm gonna run upstairs and let Jacobi know that Keller was killed with a 22. and that should do it. I'll uh…see you guys later tonight." The tall brunette made her way around the desk and headed for the door that led into the main examining room. She poked her head back in and told Claire that Edmund was here.

"Okay, thanks." Claire moved out of her office and towards the elevator. "You okay Linds?" Lindsay flashed her famous Texan grin and shook her head at the same time.

"But I'll be fine. I have a date with Simon tonight." Claire gave her a funny look.

"You're voluntarily going out on a date with Simon the wanna-be doctor?" Lindsay nudged Claire's shoulder playfully.

"He's going to med school." She said, trying to sound defensive, but failing when Claire gave her the "you're kidding me" look. "Yeah, okay. But he's a nice guy you know."

"He's not a redheaded reporter though, is he?" Lindsay managed a small laugh.

"If he was, it would certainly look funny."

Claire got serious. "Have you talked to her since…" Lindsay shook her head.

"We've been doing that crazy avoidance thing. She e-mails me when she has a lead, or she tells you or Jill and you guys tell me. But she mostly tells you, because I don't know how to work my e-mail the way that…"

"…the way she did?" Claire offered up again.

"You have got to stop finishing my sentences. It's getting a little creepy." Lindsay was stepping onto the elevator now, and Edmund was wheeling himself off. They exchanged goodbyes, and Lindsay got off the elevator when it stopped on the main floor. Instead of heading up the stairs, the brunette headed out the front door of the Hall of Justice.

"Morning Inspector." A uni – one whose named escaped her – called out to her and she raised her hand in greetings.

"Lindsay!" A familiar voice called out her name and the brunette felt her heart quicken. She didn't stop walking.

"Lindsay." The footsteps got closer to her and the long-legged Texan slowed her stride slightly, smiling slightly when she noticed that the street was practically empty, and she wouldn't have to worry about what she would say to the reporter, if she said anything at all. "How is it that I always end up chasing you?" Cindy's voice held some humor, but the brunette did not smile, or stop walking.

"I don't really have time for this right now." Lindsay muttered.

"Well make time for it." Cindy demanded. Lindsay turned to give Cindy a piece of her mind when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Before she could yell out a warning, she watched a man in sunglasses swing a baseball bat in the direction of Cindy's head. Without thinking, Lindsay pushed the redhead down and felt the bat connect with her shoulder. She hit the ground with a thud; shoulder first, then felt her head connect with the pavement. The last thing she saw as her world went black was Cindy punching numbers on her cell phone, and a man in plaid board shorts sprinting down the block.

"Lindsay, please. Stay with me. Please," Cindy pleaded as she waited for Jill to pick up her phone.


	3. Chapter 3

Lindsay started coming to as a paramedic was loading her into the back of the ambulance. She groaned and closed her eyes, gritting her teeth against the pain.

"Well, it looks like we're going to have to cancel our date for tonight, huh?" Lindsay's eyes snapped open and she found herself face to face with Simon the Paramedic. She gave a false chuckle.

"Uh yeah, sorry about that. Rain check?" Even as Lindsay uttered the words, she regretted them. Simon leaned down close and whispered in her ear.

"Count on it." He pulled back and grinned. Lindsay willed herself to keep her gag reflex in check as he kept leering at her.

"Lindsay!" Lindsay pulled herself up on the stretcher and saw Claire trying to fight her way past the other paramedic. "Excuse me, but I'm the city's Chief Medical Examiner, so move it." The brunette Inspector held back a laugh.

"Well, you deal with the dead ones, and I deal with the live ones." Claire stared at the paramedic with a look that said "you're kidding me, right?" Lindsay saw Jill approaching the commotion, and knew that the blond would diffuse the situation. Jill grabbed the man by the shoulder and pulled him aside as Claire strong-armed her way to where the brunette was lying down. Lindsay flashed her friend a smile.

"Hey there hero." Claire's voice dropped to a "concerned mother" tone.

"Hey yourself. Did you catch the guy?" Claire smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Nope. But they know his name and physical description and all that crazy cop stuff, so, it's only a matter of time, you know?" Lindsay gave her own smile and nodded, then winced as the blood rushed to the cut on her forehead.

"Woah there Champ." Jill rested a steadying hand on Lindsay's shoulder. "You hit your head while you were playing hero. Your shoulder got a good beating too," Jill offered before Lindsay could ask.

"Any permanent damage?"

"Besides your ego?" Jill smiled daringly and stepped back just out of Lindsay's reach.

"I'm surprised yours even fits through the doorway," Lindsay shot back, sticking out her tongue.

"Now children..." Claire waved her finger threateningly. Jill grinned and when Claire turned to get a medical report from Simon, the blond flicked Lindsay in the ear and jumped away quickly.

"Ouch Jill!" Claire whipped around and threw the two of them a glare so fierce that even Lindsay flinched.

"On a more serious note," Jill said, brushing back some stray hair from Lindsay's face. "How you feeling?"

Lindsay shrugged and then wished she hadn't. "My shoulder feels like someone bashed it in with a Louisville Slugger. Oh, wait. They did. Other than that, I'm ready to get off of this damn thing." Jill snickered.

"I'll see what I can do about that," she said as she beckoned Simon over. The paramedic came towards them, Claire at his side.

"Well Lindsay, I'm not supposed to let you go without taking you to the emergency room, on the account that you hit your head and that's a dangerous injury. But Mrs. Medical Examiner here is capable of taking care of you, so...no reason to hold you." He went to work freeing Lindsay from the stretcher. "So about this date..." he let the sentence hang in the air.

Lindsay risked a glance at Jill and Claire and grimaced. "Yeah, I'm not up for that today," she said solemnly. "Or ever," she added under her breath. "We'll have to reschedule." Simon helped her down off the raised bed and Lindsay ambled past Claire and Jill, beckoning them to follow. "I'll have my people call your people," she tossed over her shoulder casually, leaving the confused doctor wanna-be behind.

As the trio walked back into the Hall, Jill's face crumbled into hysteria. "I'll have my people call your people?" Claire grinned. "Lindsay just say you're not interested and get it over with."

"But it's so much more fun this way."

At the elevators, Claire got in the box going down and waved goodbye to the other two. "Come and pick me up later so we can go get some drinks."

"Oh I don't know doc. I'm not sure I'm supposed to be drinking with a head wound," Lindsay responded mockingly.

"Then you can have a soda!" Claire called back as the elevator doors closed. Jill and Lindsay grabbed the next one that was going on and as the doors shut behind them, the brunette sighed, her shoulders sagging in exhaustion. Her head shot up when Jill pulled her into a hug.

"Geez Linds. Stop doing this." Lindsay smiled.

"Doing what?" she asked innocently. Jill pulled back from the hug and gave Lindsay a skeptical look.

"Saving everyone all the time you big goon." The elevator came to a halt. "I mean, I was following you out of the building and that guy was clearly aiming for Cindy and if you hadn't pushed her out of the way, he would have...Lindsay?" Jill turned and discovered that the Inspector was not following her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Is she okay?" Jill nodded.

"She's fine. A little scraping from when you pushed her out of the way, but other than that, she's alright," Jill said reassuringly.

"I can't let you leave for ten minutes and you got to go and get yourself hurt?" Jacobi asked as he rose from his desk.

"Well, thank you. I'm fine. The doctor says there will be minimal scaring. And no, it really wasn't necessary for you to come down the stairs and make sure I was okay," Lindsay replied mockingly. Jacobi grinned.

"Okay, you two play nice. I'm going to see if there's anything Denise needs me to do before I head out for the night. See you Jacobi." With a final wave, Jill headed back to the elevators leaving Lindsay and her partner to stare at each other.

"Really, are you okay?" Lindsay smirked.

"You getting soft on me Warren?" The older man frowned. "No, I'm fine. Honestly. Just a bump." The phone rang and Lindsay snagged it before Jacobi could.

"Boxer."

"Hello Inspector Boxer." Lindsay frowned at the voice.

"Who is this?" Lindsay demanded.

"Oh, that's not important," the voice said. It was definitely a man, Lindsay decided. But his voice was...melodious, almost musical.

"Well then, what can I do for you?" Lindsay signaled for Jacobi to pick up the other phone and the man did so. He perched on the edge of the desk with the receiver pressed to his ear, while Lindsay leaned back in her seat.

"Actually, Inspector, it's not what you can do for me. It's what I can do for you."

"Fine then," Lindsay gave a sigh. "What can you do for me?"

"Take a listen."

"Listen to what?" Lindsay asked the question but the man seemed to have hung up the phone. Lindsay pressed the receiver closer to her, thinking she was missing something, when one word froze her in her seat.

"Lindsay?" Jacobi straightened up and stared at the brunette Inspector.

"Cindy?" Frantically, Lindsay scribbled a note telling Jacobi to get a trace on the line. Gingerly, the older man put down the phone and took the stairs two at a time to Tom's office. Lindsay watched him tell Tom what was going on, and then the Lieutenant was at her desk, his eyes telling her that everything was going to be fine. "Cindy, where are you?"

"Lindsay, I'm sorry." Lindsay waved away Cindy's apology, even though they were separated by distance.

"It's okay. It's okay. Listen, honey, you need to tell me where you are?" The Inspector flinched as she heard the redhead start to cry. "Okay, Cindy, please. Don't cry. Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you." The redhead said nothing, and Lindsay pressed the reciever even closer to her ear.

"I can't Lindsay." Lindsay slammed her free hand down on the desk frantically. She saw Tom flinch, but he signaled that they had a trace going. His eyes told her to keep this guy and Cindy on the line, and not to piss anyone off.

"Cindy listen, just tell me that you're okay. Just tell me he didn't hurt you." There was a pause and Lindsay felt herself to shake. "Cindy?"

"I'm fine Lindsay." But the brunette could hear the reporter's tone of voice change.

"Cindy?"

"Do you remember Lindsay, that night you saw me and Jack - the News Editor?" Hiding a grin, Lindsay nodded.

"Unfortunatly, I do."

"Do you remember what I told you?" The redhead's voice was clipped, and Lindsay was not feeling reassured. Tom tapped her on the shoulder and motioned down to the pad in his hand - "We have them."

Lindsay racked her brain for the answer to the question as she grabbed her gun off her desk. Jill was standning next to her now, and Claire was watching from the bull pen door.

"You told me to let go of you." Jill's head snapped up and gave Lindsay a look of confusion. The brunette collapsed back into her chair.

"What happened?" Claire was at her side instantly, whsipering the question to the lawyer. Jill shook her head and nodded towards the phone. Lindsay was pushing Claire away, focused on the conversation at hand.

"And what did you say?" Lindsay closed her eyes at Cindy's question.

"I said 'if you want me to let go, then I'm letting go for good.'" Lindsay's voice had dropped to a whisper.

"So why won't you let her go Detective?" Cindy was relaced by the melodious voice and Lindsay slammed the desk again, this time in rage.


End file.
